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Fram
21-September-2005, 02:22 PM
If that doesn't work:
When in danger, worry, doubt,
Run in circles, scream and shout.
Burma Shave

I saw this in another thread, and started wondering. This is one of the quotes that get used very regularly. Is that really a Burma Shave quote (probably yes), and where they the first? What was the original form? I tried to look for it on Google, and it turned out to be quite a mess. There are loads of variations, and loads of attributions. I've looked for the moment only at those that have 'run in circles, scream and shout'. I'll try to give some of those here (21,500 hits for the exact quote!), and I'ld be glad if other people can give additions.

Variations (punctuation not considered):
* When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Attributed to Robert A. Heinlein ("The cat who walks through walls" (uttered by Richard Ames), "The notebooks of Lazarus Long", or "Time enough for love (p.454)"), and also known as "Mongolian General Prudential Rule" or "Clint's Cure-All".
* When in doubt or danger, run in circles, scream and shout. Attributed to Laurence J. Peter (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/laurencej134491.html) (not very witty this way).
* When in trouble or in doubt - Run in circles, scream and shout. Not attributed tagline.
* When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Not attributed tagline.
* When in darkness or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Not attribute tagline.
* When in fear or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Not attributed tagline.
* When in panic or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Not attributed.
* When in panic, fear or doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. (nice way to give three reasons instead of two). No attribution.
* When in question, when in doubt: run in circles, scream, and shout! Not attributed motto.
* When In Anger Or In Doubt, Run In Circles, Scream And Shout. (someone has forgotten a D there). No attribution.
* When in worry, when in doubt...run in circles, scream and shout. No attribution.
* When you're worried and in doubt, run in circles,scream and shout. No attribution.
* When in quandry or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!. No attribution.
* When in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Attributed to Goat Leamond (http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1989/89021500.html) by George Bush senior. This is the only mention of Goat Leamond I can find on Google though (suppossedly an ex-member of the house of representatives of South Carolina?).
* If you are in trouble or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! (Bad metrum here). No attribution.
* If in danger, if in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. Andy Fish, Sub Officer, South Wales Fire Service, Cardiff, UK. (I'm not making this up (http://www.cimtel.net/~killerb/truths.html)!


* Or simply "Run in circles, scream and shout."



One explanation (http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:0Qc2n5xB7EwJ:nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006707.html+%22Run+in+circles,+scream+and+shout%22&hl=nl&client=firefox-a) I have found says:
"When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."

The original of that was "When in danger or in doubt, port your helm and come about."

That is, when you don't know what's happening, turn to starboard and head in a different direction." (Under the International Rules of the Road the give-way vessel comes right.)

If you aren't sure who's the give-way vessel, you are the give-way vessel.

This way, everyone knows what the other guy is going to do. No surprises. A collision at sea can make your whole day suck.

(Back in the Old Days "port your helm" meant "come right" because when you pushed the tiller arm to port, the rudder went starboard.)
I could only find two sites with this line though, and none of them scientific (linguistic or so). So I just give it as a possibility.

It looks as if the most popular version is created (or popularized) by Heinlein, although there is some disagreement about which book it stems from. "The cat..." seems to get the most votes though.

Moose
21-September-2005, 02:36 PM
That is, when you don't know what's happening, turn to starboard and head in a different direction." (Under the International Rules of the Road the give-way vessel comes right.)

Left (port) in certain Commonwealth nations. *snicker*

Candy
21-September-2005, 03:59 PM
Burma Shave Slogans (http://www.fiftiesweb.com/burma1.htm)

I don't have time to look through them all. I have to attend a meeting for work on my day off.

Fram
21-September-2005, 04:10 PM
Thanks. At first glance, it's not amongst those four pages.
I have to admit that I thought Jim meant a line from a song by the group Burma Shave. I had forgotten where they had got their name...
I find a few references to Burma Shave in combination with this little rhyme, but nothing very clear or definite.

Candy
21-September-2005, 04:33 PM
Thanks. At first glance, it's not amongst those four pages.
I have to admit that I thought Jim meant a line from a song by the group Burma Shave. I had forgotten where they had got their name...
I find a few references to Burma Shave in combination with this little rhyme, but nothing very clear or definite.
Oh, there is a group called Burma Shave? I must be getting really old. http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/konfus/d040.gif

Glom
21-September-2005, 05:36 PM
Must...

resist...

temptation...

to make...

topical...

comment!

TriangleMan
21-September-2005, 05:44 PM
I've seen the quote attributed to Heinlein as well but it probably pre-dates his writings.

Gillianren
21-September-2005, 05:49 PM
Must...

resist...

temptation...

to make...

topical...

comment!

heck, they're all topical comments--you don't take Burma-Shave internally, do you?

but seriously, folks--I always thought making up clever rhymes and attributing them to Burma-Shave signs was an American hobby. one, of course, no longer much in use, given the death of real Burma-Shave signs a long time ago. therefore, I don't necessarily assume that anything labeled "Burma-Shave" was really one of their slogans, and while I'm impressed by your studiousness, [b]Fram[/i], it's way more work than I'd've put into it.

Fram
21-September-2005, 06:24 PM
It's nothing important, I know, but I got intrigued by the mention of Jim, and thjen I got more intrigued because I couldn't find a constant attribution and I found many different versions. It's the small things that keep me awake at night (well, it isn't that bad :) ).

Oh, and topical comments aren't allowed here, this is [i]off-topic[i] babbling after all.

Glom
21-September-2005, 06:30 PM
Oh, and topical comments aren't allowed here, this is [i]off-topic[i] babbling after all.

Yeah, sorry. I'm dealing with you-know-what on another board, which doesn't have the same scientific approach, as we speak so this thread title struck me as funny.

Fram
21-September-2005, 06:36 PM
:lol: No worries

Enzp
22-September-2005, 06:30 AM
I remember the Burma Shave signs. When I first went off to college across country, it was before the interstate highway system was complete, so we drove US40 and other surface roads. Burma Shave signs were all over.

But it was such an American tradition, that any rhyming little thing would get Burma Shave tacked on the end as a matter of course, even though it was not really one of their slogans.

There is a set of the signs in teh SMithsonian, and if I recall it was:

In this vale
of toil and sin
your head grows bald
but not your chin

Burma Shave.

Just philosophically it doesn't sound like one of theirs. But if someone had said it to me, I most certainly would have tacked on the Burma SHave if they hadn't.

Candy
22-September-2005, 06:52 AM
As I was sifting through the many Burma Shave ad's trying to add to the OP, something stuck out - there are "over 600 Burma Shave ad's" out there. That's a lot! I bet "they" didn't know we'd be looking them up 50 years later. :)